The Front Page · Merrick, N.Y.

Camp Ave Barbershop: the Barber Shop in Merrick, NY, That Never Took an Appointment

Fades, hot-lather straight-razor shaves and kids' first haircuts, seven days a week on Camp Ave — no bookings, no apps, no waiting list. You walk in. That's the whole system.

From the City Desk · Camp Ave, Merrick, Long Island · Walk in today or call (516) 868-4791

On a corner of Camp Ave in Merrick sits a two-story brick building with two barber poles, a red awning, and a bench out front. Inside, this family-owned barber shop has been doing the quietly radical thing: cutting hair well, at fair prices, for whoever walks through the door.

The board covers everything a Long Island head could ask for — men's haircuts, skin fades, beard trims, hot-lather straight-razor shaves, head shaves, kids' cuts, and women's cuts with real layering. Regulars drive in from Bellmore, East Meadow and Freeport; a 4.9-star average across 159 Google reviews suggests they leave happy.

There is no booking engine because there is no booking. The shop opens early, seven days a week. You come by when it suits you, take a seat under the game on the TV, and you're in a chair before the highlights repeat.

Stop Press

Call (516) 868-4791 Walk in today

Camp Ave Barbershop storefront in Merrick NY — brick corner building with red awning and twin barber poles — **The corner:** twin poles and a red awning mark the shop on Camp Ave, Merrick. Photograph, The Ledger.

4.9★ · 159 Google reviews Walk-ins welcome Open early · 7 days Family-owned Kids & all ages

Section B

Barber Services in Merrick, NY

Men's Haircut

POSTED RATE · $25

The staple: a proper consult, clipper-and-scissor work matched to your head, cleaned-up neckline. The reason "barber shop near me" ends at Camp Ave for half of Merrick.

Skin Fade

POSTED RATE · $30

Zero-gap blend from skin to length, checked in the mirror from every angle. Ruben takes his time — the fade is sharp on day one and still honest in week three.

Haircut + Beard

POSTED RATE · $35

The full frame in one chair: haircut plus a shaped, lined-up beard trim. The best-value line on the board for anyone wearing both.

Beard Trim

POSTED RATE · $15

Edges lined, length balanced, cheeks and neck cleaned. Fifteen minutes that makes the difference between "growing a beard" and wearing one.

Hot-Lather Straight-Razor Shave

POSTED RATE · $30

Hot towel, hot lather, a real straight razor. An old-school Long Island barbershop shave that no cartridge at home can imitate.

Head Shave

POSTED RATE · $25

Down to the skin with razor finish and no guesswork — even, comfortable, and finished with the same hot-lather treatment.

Kids' Cut (12 & under)

POSTED RATE · $20

Patient chairs for small customers. Ruben is famous with Merrick kids — first haircuts, school-photo trims, and zero tears more often than not.

Women's Cut & Layering

POSTED RATE · $40

Julia's column: precise layers and bangs on long, thick hair. Women drive past plenty of salons between Bellmore and Merrick to sit in her chair.

Public Notice · Classifieds

Posted Rates at Camp Ave Barbershop

Affordable for the area, printed in full. No fine print below the fold.

Men's Haircut$25

Skin Fade$30

Haircut + Beard$35

Beard Trim$15

Hot-Lather Straight-Razor Shave$30

Head Shave$25

Kids' Cut (12 & under)$20

Women's Cut & Layering$40

Cash of the realm gladly accepted · walk-ins only · (516) 868-4791

The Wire

A Cut at Camp Ave, Minute by Minute

Walk in

No appointment, no app, no call ahead. The door on Camp Ave is open early, seven days a week.

Take a seat

Black chairs along the mirror wall, the game on the TV. The wait is part of the neighborhood.

The consult

Your barber asks what you want — and remembers it next time. Photos welcome; Julia works from them for layers and bangs.

The cut

Ruben takes his time. Nobody is rushed out of the chair to hit a number; the fade gets checked until it's right.

The finish

Hot lather and a straight razor on the neckline — the old-school close that regulars mention in their reviews.

Walk out sharp

Pay, say your goodbyes, hold the door for the next Merrick head coming in.

Staff Profiles

The Two Chairs That Matter

Ruben

Head Barber

Fades, tapers, beard work and the hot-lather finish. Ruben's signature is patience — he takes his time on every head, and he has turned more than one crying toddler into a kid who counts down the days to his next haircut.

"My son used to cry at haircuts. Ruben turned it into the highlight of his week." — Dana M.

Julia

Cuts & Layering

The reason the shop's women's column exists. Julia is trusted with the hard brief — layers and bangs on long, thick hair — and she works from the photo you bring in, not a guess.

"Julia is the only person I trust with layers on my thick hair. She gets it right every time." — Sarah K.

In Pictures

Inside the Shop on Camp Ave

Inside Camp Ave Barbershop Merrick NY — mirror walls, wood floor and barber chairs — **The floor:** mirrors on both walls, wood underfoot, TVs for the wait.

Ruben giving a kids haircut at Camp Ave Barbershop in Merrick — **Small customer:** kids' cuts are house specialty, $20.

Hot-lather straight-razor shave close-up — **The blade:** hot-lather straight-razor shaves, $30.

Scissor work over comb during a men's haircut — **Scissor work:** no rushed clippers-only jobs here.

Barber pole detail — **The signal:** two poles flank the window on Camp Ave.

Letters

Letters to the Editor, From the Regulars

4.9

of 5 · 159 Google reviews

The Ledger prints its correspondence unedited. The editorial position of this page — that Camp Ave Barbershop is worth the drive from anywhere in Nassau County — is the readers' own.

I've been coming here since high school. Different towns, different jobs — I still drive back to Camp Ave for my cut.

— Mike D., longtime reader

Ruben takes his time. You never feel rushed, and the fade is sharp every single visit.

— Anthony R.

Walked in on a Sunday morning, out in half an hour, best cut I've had in years.

— James P.

Julia gave my daughter the exact bangs she showed her from a photo. She was thrilled.

— Lauren H.

Eight years coming here. They remember your name, your cut, and what you talked about last time.

— Chris B.

The hot-lather straight-razor finish is the little touch that keeps me loyal.

— Rob T.

Graphics Desk

Where the Regulars Come From

Fig. 1 — Regulars by neighborhood, running count

Merrick380

N. Merrick340

Bellmore310

N. Bellmore270

East Meadow240

Freeport210

Wantagh180

Baldwin160

Seaford140

Levittown120

The map in numbers: the chairs on Camp Ave pull from every town between the parkways — Merrick first, then the Bellmores, East Meadow and the south shore.

Illustrative distribution — demo data

A neighborhood barber shop is a map you can read in the waiting chairs. Plates from North Merrick and Bellmore in the lot, a Freeport regular who moved twenty minutes away and still refuses to switch, East Meadow dads bringing sons for a first cut.

The shop has never advertised its radius. It grew one the honest way — a 4.9-star word-of-mouth economy that runs on fades, layers, and remembering your name.

Google rating4.9★

Reviews on record159

Days open per week7

Appointments required0

Around the Towns

Serving Merrick, the Bellmores & Nearby

MerrickThe home beat. A walk-in barber shop on Camp Ave itself — men's haircuts, skin fades and kids' cuts without an appointment.

North MerrickFive minutes down Camp Ave for a $25 haircut and the hot-lather straight-razor finish. Most of the morning regulars start here.

BellmoreBarber shop near Bellmore, NY — skip the chains on Merrick Road; the twin poles are one town over.

North BellmoreSchool-year staple: kids' cuts at $20 and a barber who's patient with first-timers.

East MeadowWorth the short hop across Hempstead Turnpike for a skin fade that's checked from every angle.

FreeportRegulars keep the Sunday habit — walk in early, out in half an hour, best fade on the south shore.

WantaghA straight run up Wantagh Ave for beard trims and haircut-plus-beard, $35 all in.

BaldwinWomen's cuts and layering with Julia bring Baldwin heads past a dozen closer salons.

SeafordOpen seven days, so the weekend crowd from Seaford never has to plan ahead.

LevittownHead shaves and hot-lather shaves worth the parkway drive from Levittown — old-school barbering, posted prices.

Questions

Questions From Readers

Do I need an appointment at Camp Ave Barbershop?

No — the shop is walk-ins only. There is no booking system on purpose. Come by whenever suits you; the door is open early, seven days a week.

Do you cut kids' hair?

Yes, and it's a house specialty. Kids' cuts (12 & under) are $20, and Ruben is known across Merrick for turning nervous first haircuts into a good time.

Do you do women's cuts?

Yes. Julia handles women's cuts and layering ($40) — she's the one regulars trust with layers and bangs on long, thick hair. Bring a photo of what you want.

What are your hours?

Open early, seven days a week. Exact hours can shift, so call (516) 868-4791 to confirm today's — someone at the shop will pick up.

How much is a haircut?

A men's haircut is $25. The full board: skin fade $30, haircut + beard $35, beard trim $15, hot-lather straight-razor shave $30, head shave $25, kids' cut $20, women's cut & layering $40.

Do you do straight-razor shaves?

Yes — the hot-lather straight-razor shave ($30) is the shop's old-school signature, hot towel included. Necklines on regular haircuts get the same razor finish.

Where exactly are you located?

On Camp Ave in Merrick, NY — the two-story brick corner building with two barber poles, a red BARBER SHOP awning, and a bench out front. You can't miss it; if in doubt, call (516) 868-4791.

Visiting

Finding the Shop on Camp Ave

Camp Ave Barbershop at dusk, Merrick Long Island — windows glowing, barber poles lit — **Evening edition:** the shop at dusk. Look for the lit poles.

No street number needed: on Camp Ave in Merrick, the shop announces itself — brick corner, red awning, two barber poles, and the white box sign with the phone number in red letters.

HoursOpen early, seven days a week. "OPEN 7 DAYS" hangs in the window. Call to confirm today's hours.
Phone(516) 868-4791 — the same number painted on the sign.
AddressCamp Ave, Merrick, NY — Long Island's south shore, minutes from Bellmore and North Merrick.
WaitTake the bench outside or a chair under the TV. Walk-ins move quicker than you'd think.

Last Edition

Walk In. Walk Out Sharp. Read All About It Later.

No appointment, no app. Camp Ave, Merrick — open early, seven days a week.

Call (516) 868-4791 See Our Rates